Reviews of Feathers Inn, Hedley on the Hill
Review by Rachel Williams on 21st April, 2010
Add your review Date visited: 14.4.2010
Just been to the best pub ever! The friendliest staff I have ever met.
The food is sublime. I can tell that the chef has real passion as the menu is really unusual and changes every day. We ate venison and pidgeon and steamed ginger puddings. Its special and I love the place - book me in again!
Review by Mr P Hendry-Taylor on 10th January, 2009
Add your review Date visited: ---------
I beg to differ with your comment that all beef is best served well done but in thin slices. If you are talking about topside, then yes, the meat is best served well done and thinly sliced due to the texture of the meat. However, other cuts of beef, such as rib, are best served rare as cooking it well done may make it dry, tough and generally difficult to eat. I think we will just have to agree to disagree!
Review by ironsy on 7th January, 2009
Add your review Date visited: 14.12.08 but NEVER AGAIN!
In response to the review posted below,I would beg to differ on several points:
1)'beef is best served rare, the flavour is at its fullest and it is less likely to be tough.' Nonsense. Beef is best served in THIN slices, really WELL cooked: The 'rare'thing is utter posh nonsense...
2:'Maybe if you had eaten the beef how it is supposed to be eaten then it wouldnt have been as tough as you describe.'Nonsense.It was tough when bloody raw, then tough still when medium bloody rare...in fact was bloody horrible!
3.'The Feathers Sunday luches deserve credit, they are exceptional, compared to 'boil in the bag' food served in many other local pubs.'What an earth or you on about? boil in the bag sunday dinners? Never come across 'em...
4.My family and I frequent the Feathers regularly, enjoying the 'grub' each time we visit. (Try the Fish and Chips, you wont be disappointed!)'I told you I will NEVER EVER be going back there!
Review by Mr P Hendry-Taylor on 26th December, 2008
Add your review Date visited: 15 Dec 2008
In response to the review posted below, beef is best served rare, the flavour is at its fullest and it is less likely to be tough. Maybe if oyu had eaten the beef how it is supposed to be eaten then it wouldnt have been as tough as you describe. The Feathers Sunday luches deserve credit, they are exceptional, compared to 'boil in the bag' food served in many other local pubs. My family and I frequent the Feathers regularly, enjoying the 'grub' each time we visit. (Try the Fish and Chips, you wont be disappointed!)
Review by Ironsy on 14th December, 2008
Add your review Date visited: 14.12.08
ordered beef sunday dinner. Not asked how we would like the beef(rare, medium rare, well done) Beef came in the form of big thick slab of rare meat, oozing blood. I asked if it could be recooked to be very well done. It came back what I would call medium rare, still oozing blood. Horribly tough and chewy. left most of it. £3 surcharge on the price per meal-something about desperate times and increast costs. Very disappointed-wont be going back ever.
Review by Natalie Bannister on 11th October, 2008
Add your review Date visited: 9th October
What a find! We live in Newastle so thought it would take ages, but we got there in no time at all. I am just reading the previous review and finding it very funny. By the sound of it, you too really enjyed the food, as we did. Not too sure why you woulnd't go back though if the food was as good as you descrbed. We will be going back and thought the staff were superb.
My friends and I had a great time working our way through all the real ales. The place has real character and charm
Review by Henry Patient on 30th September, 2008
Add your review Date visited: 6/9/2008
Rabbit pie was the best thing we ate: tarrogony rabbit casserole in a 2 handled mug with pastry draped all over. Pastry was exceptional with a nice touch of cheese in it. Pot roast someone or other's 28 day mature beef with wine sauce was disappointing: "like a bog standard pub Sunday lunch." Beef very ordinary. Mrs Doddington's (they love including the name of suppliers in the menu description) cheese onion and beetroot pie was remarkable for one thing: it was tiny. A very stingy portion at an outrageous £9. Tasted very ordinary too. To make up for the tiny portion the pudding (apple crumble) was huge. Too sweet but the custard was good. Verdict: not as good as they think it is and poor value for money. Would I return? No
Review by Jack Hinet on 10th September, 2008
Add your review Date visited: 3.9.08
I must say that my sons and I had the best meals we have ever eaten.
We are very fussy and find the North East to be unfortunately very lacking in quality establishments. The Feathers Inn, although looking and feeling very much like an old boozer, serves the finest food I have ever tasted. You may not be expecting this and I should think you would be surprised by the waiting lists for tables but once you have been you will know why.
The wine list is very comprehensive but we opted for the very well kept real ales all from local breweries which tasted almost as good as the food.
Review by Julia baker on 29th May, 2008
Add your review Date visited: 8.5.08
My family and I had a really lovely time. The food was sensational and the wine was top notch. This is definatley a cut above the rest. You must book early however as when I rang there was over a week needed for a Saturday night, and they were even full for a Thursday.
You wont find a pub or food like it anwhere else so make the trip, its well worth it.
Review by bev horgan on 8th February, 2008
Add your review Date visited: 7th feb 08
Iwould just like to say what a really nice place the pub is. I was my first time to visit there and i wont be my last, we all had a great time and the food was out of this world so a big thumbs up to the staff and the chef for a wonderful meal.
Review by Steven on 25th January, 2008
Add your review Date visited: Dec 2007
We had our Chirstmas staff night out at The Feathers and I must say that it was fantstic. The food was bursting with flavour and you could tell it was all fresh. I have been reading the other reviews on this page and I must disagree with Darren. His bitchy attitude is not appropriate. The Feathers food was great, why would it be winning awards left right and centre if the food was as awful as Darren states?? I feel that the food was 100%, couldnt fault it. We had a great staff night out and are already planning on going back again for 2008!
Review by Steven on 25th January, 2008
Add your review Date visited: Dec 2007
We had our Chirstmas staff night out at The Feathers and I must say that it was fantstic. The food was bursting with flavour and you could tell it was all fresh. I have been reading the other reviews on this page and I must disagree with Darren. His bitchy attitude is not appropriate. The Feathers food was great, why would it be winning awards left right and centre if the food was as awful as Darren states?? I feel that the food was 100%, couldnt fault it. We had a great staff night out and are already planning on going back again for 2008!
Review by James on 6th November, 2007
Add your review Date visited: October 2007
Congratulations Feathers Inn for winning the regional final of Gary Rhodes Local Food Heroes. This is very well deserved. Just watching the food on screen was making my mouth water! I shall be back at some point in the near future to taste more from the menu. Your food is divine, as is your selection of wines and ales. Your staff are exceptional, I was greeted with such enthusiasm from your waiter and was impressed with his knowledgable presentation of the cheese board and the general outstanding service from this individual. We are truly honoured to have such a place in our region. Kind thanks.
Review by darren on 4th November, 2007
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In response to "jane" & "jeff" the reason people whine online is to save other people from going to such places where food is not as good as people like you to believe! & if I was in a "restaurant" I would've complained & I did,I'm sure if you asked Mrs Smith or Ms G Houston if they read a review that said what they have said would they or you for that matter still booked a table here? I am guessing the answer would be no! Thumbs down feathers, I will never return for a meal or a drink, living in Newcastle there are good, honest pubs to be found & visited.....
Review by Mary Lewis on 30th October, 2007
Add your review Date visited: 10/10/07
Very special place this. We were greeted by a very friendly lady who turned out to be the owner. She showed us to our table and looked after us very well. The open fires warmed us and the old place hummed with the jolly laughter of the locals. Special people look after this pub and look after the people who visit. The food was, well i have never visited any where that comes close, it was perfect.
Review by Jeff on 28th September, 2007
Add your review Date visited: 23rd Sept 2007
I visited the Feathers Inn on the same eve as 'Darren' (Listed below) and I must say that we had a completly different experience. For starters I had the black pudding, which was simply divine. The best I have ever tasted infact. For mains I had the beer battered fish and chips. Whilst I do admit that the portion was smaller than expected, I was very impressed with the quality of the food served. The batter wasnt lumpy and the fish was cooked to perfection. The chunky chips were AMAZING. I spoke to the chef afterwards and the batter is not from a mix, but made fresh everyday. For dessert, my partner and I shared a Burnt Northumbrian Cream, which was simply the BEST creme brulee I have ever had the pleasure of tasting. We also shared the cheese, and there wasnt just two cheeses, but a very good selection of six cheeses from the board. All of which were locally produced and we were given an explaination of each cheese by the chef (who certainly does know his stuff) which is always a bonus. As for the staff having a break, the pub stops serving food at 9 o clock, so surely the staff deserve a break?? Considering how they seem to work non-stop on 100% for three hours? Sorry you had a bad experience Darren, but I feel as though I must say something in The Feathers' defence. There arent many quality dining pubs in the North East of England, it was such a refreshing change to be served fresh(we were told that nothing is frozen, apart from the ice-cream!), good tasting local produce in comparison to the bland, frozen meals that are served up in so many of todays pub chains. Thumbs up!
Review by Jane on 28th September, 2007
Add your review Date visited: 24.9.07
Thumbs up Feathers, fantastic eve. If you have a problem with the food that you are served, why do you come online and whine on here?? You shud of complained at the restaurant! Its no use saying that your food is ok when asked, if its clearly not. My food was grand, couldnt fault it.
Review by Darren on 23rd September, 2007
Add your review Date visited: 18.07.07
what? are we talking about the same place? excellant food? good ales? surley not, i was extremely shocked by the food we were served.
English watercress soup was like stale dish water, then i opted for the Beer battered fish, chunky chips, mushy peas and tartare sauce @ £10 i was hoping for a great treat, sadly not! the batter was very lumpy, (like packet mix) & no taste of beer. for after i had local cheese from the board again @ £7 i was hoping for more than 2 cheeses altho it was "served" by the cook, it would of been nicer if he was wearing whites, not grays. and order yourselfs a few drinks before 9 pm when all the staff seem to take a break.
would i return? NO, would i recommend friends? NO WAY. beer needs attention, and service with a smile? only when you ask for the bill.!
Review by Josephine Llyod-Evans on 9th September, 2007
Add your review Date visited: 8/09/07
Wow! I had Goat’s cheese, chestnut and wild mushroom pie, royal kidney heritage potatoes
and buttered greens at £9 It was the best thing I have ever eaten. I can be so precise because I took a menu home. I was given permission, in fact, encouraged to do so, because the menus are printed everyday so they are there for the taking. There is a map of the area on the back with a list showing where all the food comes from.
My partner ordered the roast Ministeracres partridge, bread sauce, fondant potato, red currant jelly, game gravy and watercress at £12.50. I was actually surprised that we could eat so well for under £15 per main course. We both had three courses and due to the size of the portions could not quite finish the desert although it was wonderful also.
We drank a french red syrah and had a marvellous evening although it was a very busy evening.
Review by Richard Jennings on 4th September, 2007
Add your review Date visited: 2.9.7
I am rarely moved to write about any place. I travel with work all over the world and eating out is a necessity and a bore. The drive up was magnificent. The steep climb in our old car was a struggle but the views took our mind off the engine noises. The village itself is picture postcard and chocolate box. The pub is in the centre and by scanning the notice board on the way in is the heart of the place in many ways. Once inside the stone walls and open fires where fantastic. There were four real ales on hand pull which was a real bonus, as most little places struggle to maintain one. Down to the food which is the reason I am writing this in the first place, as there are many pretty place you could go to on a Sunday. It never ceases to amaze me how many places (Chain or otherwise) serve up bland, over processed micro waved meals. They are everywhere. With their ‘home made’ lasagne from the same factory that made your last one. And they manage to not only over cook everything beyond reason they have no personality. This is where the Feathers stands out, although judging by the previous comments, the overcooked blandness I suffer elsewhere is perhaps due to customer demand not due to lack of skill or imagination.
The Sunday roast menu was perfect. The place is small and sits, I would imagine only about 30 or so. I am always dubious about a place with a longer menu as it is inevitably all out of a freezer. The Roast beef was cooked to perfection, as it should be pink. There was no blood on my plate. I have worked, in my youth, in places where they keep the beef tepid, brownish-grey, by boiling it in a large pan – so much for a roast! The cauliflower cheese was made with cheese from Doddington’s dairy, it says so on the back of the menu. It was delicious and smelt of cheese. You can tell when they send out a ‘cheese’ dish that has never been near the produce of a cow for its rubbery, smell-less, tasteless gooiness. The horseradish was clearly freshly made and the best I have ever tasted. The menu stated that the beef was from a local farm and unlike the beef I have eaten elsewhere, whose origins are dubious (Zeebo most likely). My beef had all the taste and flavour it should. It has been such a long time since I had a meal as good as this, I can’t even remember and I am over sixty.
I would make the most of a unique place like this, with its unpretentious, extremely good food. Please don’t go if you are looking for scampi and meat you be chewing for days. Please leave seats for me and my friends who enjoy food and have taste buds. I will be booking next time for a window seat and will be enjoying the fine food and real ales as often as I am able. My only gripe if I had to pick one, is that if it were me I would ditch the larger altogether. I think it attracts the wrong sort. I would increase the number of real ales and have only traditional ciders and beer behind the bar. This would then match the quality of the food and service.
Review by Mrs Smith on 21st August, 2007
Add your review Date visited: 19/08/07
Asked for a beer advertised on the outdoor pub sign to be told they don't sell it. Chose 3 roast beef dinners from the very limited menu priced £10 per person. After a long boring wait (no background music)3 bowls containing blubbery, blood dripping beef were placed infront of us with 2 small carrots, roast potatoes and foul smelling cauliflower cheese. We salvaged the veg, begrudgingly paid the bill and left never to return.
Review by Ms G Houston on 20th August, 2007
Add your review Date visited: 18th Aug 2007
There were six of us in our party when we went to eat at The Feathers pub.
We had such a bad experience I had to write about it.
I ordered the sirloin steak - the chef refused to cook the meat for me, as he belives it should be ate rare. At GBP16.00 you would think you could have a say in the way it is cooked!
The Locals made it perfectly clear that no-one is welcome in this pub if you are not from around there!
As for the management- they were happy to take our GBP180.00 for the meal- but were not happy to offer service with a smile!
If anyone is going to this pub, just be aware of this. Apart form the meat issue and the lack of customer service and the rudeness from the locals- you will have a great time!
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